Fraud case in Cork calls into question 'integrity of the Irish passport system', court told

Detective Garda Mark Hennebry of Garda National Immigration Bureau said the actions of a couple before Cork District Court “called into question the integrity of both the Irish birth certificate registration system and the Irish passport system”.  File photo: Collins Photos

A detective in an alleged passport fraud case said the actions of a couple before Cork District Court “called into question the integrity of both the Irish birth certificate registration system and the Irish passport system”. 

Detective Garda Mark Hennebry of Garda National Immigration Bureau alleged at Cork District Court that the alleged offences would have serious repercussions for both systems.

He outlined the allegations for Judge Mary Dorgan to decide if she would accept jurisdiction for the case. The judge found the allegations too serious and refused jurisdiction. Books of evidence will now have to be prepared so the cases can proceed at circuit court level.

The parties cannot be named as it would identify children who are protected under the Children’s Act.

A foreign woman and an Irish man faces charges of obtaining a false passport for a child that they said was their son which enabled the woman to obtain Irish citizenship for the child, herself and her subsequent children.

Det. Garda Hennebry outlined the background to the garda investigation in relation to a 64-year-old Irish man who is charged with a total of three offences in relation to the alleged obtaining of a false Irish birth certificate and false Irish passport for a child. 

He is charged that on July 29, 2009, he provided false information at the Civil Registration Office, Adelaide Street, Cork, which he knew to be false claiming that he was the biological father of a seven-month-old boy contrary to the Civil Registration Act 2004.

He is also charged with two offences of providing false information under the Passports Act 2008.

The 43-year-old woman is similarly charged that she falsely claimed the man was the biological father of her son, and three counts of false information in passport applications in 2009, 2012 and 2017.

Detective Sergeant Keith Cleary of the Garda National Immigration Bureau gave further related evidence. He said obtaining the false Irish passport for the child gave the woman an immigration advantage and she was subsequently able to apply for an Irish passport for herself and her other children who were all born here since and those passports entitled her to claim various social welfare entitlements.

Judge Dorgan said after hearing an outline of the alleged facts that it was “a very serious matter” and she refused jurisdiction, remanding both accused on bail to appear in court again on January 10 for the DPP’s directions.